August 11, 2011
Brown Beret Tropas de Califas, Aztlan.
Un Mensaje de Fuerza
As I approach my 6th month as Commander of Califas. It is necessary to reflect on some of the ups and downs of organizing and how we are going to carry out the monumental , but hardly impossible task , of forming 58 brigades of Brown Beret soldados to represent each condado in Califas. We also need to consider the challenges of raising funds to mobilize or to become self sufficient. Right now we are about as rag top as can be. I say that not as a disparaging remark but in the sense that we are volunteers and all the time, effort and money spent to professionally represent the Brown Berets is coming out of our own pocket. When we show up in dressed according to code it represents our unceasing love we have for the gente and our shared vision of nationhood -- Aztlan.
Writing about the last five months is like writing a resume, you want to include everything and make it look nice. The hard truth is that planned meetings and events often have a way of not coming out as envisioned but the fact that brown beret activity took place is a victory in itself. If you can get media attention that is even better.
Most movements start of slow then snowball rapidly. At the present time there are some units that do not even have a squad (a group of 5 soldiers). Once you develop a core group of at least 6 members you‘ll quickly start getting interest but it won’t last if you don’t have something to keep them in. Membership will be in a constant state of flux as some might feel they are not really cut out to be a Brown Beret.
March 12th -- 1st organizing meeting of Merced BBNO. Several members sworn in
April 2nd -- Fresno and Merced BBNO participate in march to honor Cesar Chavez -- 1st time march for both units and we are shown prominently on pg b2 of the Fresno Bee the next day.
April 23rd -- Chicano Park Day in San Diego Califas
April 30th -- 1st organizing meeting held in Bakersfield. I spoke to about 100 people and met several of my homies from back in the day. Two mothers want to volunteer and put their 4 children in the cadets. Audrey Guzman assumes Bakersfield unit leadership.
May 1st -- Fresno and Merced BBNO march in May Day march held in Fresno
May 5th -- Fresno BBNO support Merced BBNO at a community Cinco De Mayo event
May 28th -- Attended MEChA statewide conference held at Chico State University along with members from San Fernando and Fresno. Swore in leadership of Chico BBNO.
July 2nd -- Attended organizing meeting in Modesto for addressing Chicano gang violence in the Central Valley. A first ever 209 Chicano Unity Festival is now set for Sat, Sept 10th
July 16th & 17th -- Fresno and Merced BBNO attend Joaquin Murrieta Days held in Tres Pierdas, CA
August 1st -- A delegation of 4 Brown Berets attend funeral mass at UFW 40 acres compound in Delano for labor leader Richard Chavez, brother of Cesar Chavez
As you can see it’s been pretty busy for me and I can really appreciate the time and effort of each dedicated solider. Our work is cut out for us and our time is ahora Start organizing your block, move to the next and the next until the whole barrio and pueblo has brown berets.
Challenges
- Mission and Philosophy--I believe there is widespread acceptance with brown beret mission of political activism, in fact it is expected that we be on the front lines organizing on different issues. What I find is apprehension with our ultimate goal of reclaiming Aztlan. Too many of our gente are anchored to the “american dream” and can’t envision ever being able to throw off the chains of our oppression which is the USA. So in addition to racist nazis being opposed to us, we are going to get all those middle-of- the- road conservative and republican Chicanos who will be some of our worst critics.
- Public Relations--The spotlight is on us at all times while in uniform. If you are cussing, making racist or sexist jokes or belittling people your unit will lose members and credibility. Be firm in maintaining our believes when we are faced by opponents but show due respect. Let’s also remember that in today’s high tech world, a picture of you picking your nose, picking your butt or just having a melt down can be posted on the web for millions to see with just a click of a button on a smart phone.
- Membership--As stated earlier, membership is constantly going to flux. We are looking at recruiting membership who will last in the organization and be dedicated wholeheartedly to our future growth. . During the years 1994-2000 when I last organized in Fresno our core membership always stayed around 10-12. At one point we had 25 members show up to a meeting. We were a small and young group but we accomplished things.
- Rejection and Jealousy -- Don’t be surprised if after joining the Brown Berets you start losing friendships or relationships with family members. Some organizations you belonged or helped might suddenly shut you out. Because we operate in a military fashion some people will assume we are violent and armed. We might also start out-organizing long established groups so they might feel resentment. Just keep practicing good public relations and making alliances whenever possible and your ranks quickly grow.
- Harassment & Discrimination-- Being a Brown Beret might subject you to harassment from law enforcement, public officials , private property owners and even other organizations. Similarly, you could face discrimination in school, work or housing. Whenever out in public it is important to have a member or supporter be ready to document in case you are confronted by hostile elements. As to the work place, avoid Beret activity while on the clock. There are labor laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, and political beliefs, but any competent supervisor can find things to terminate you if they want. Seek legal advice from our general counsel if need be.
- Practicing non-violence in a violent society -- As our ranks continue to grow we are going to be seen more and more by the public and again some people will be violently opposed to us. We need to totally understand the difference between non-violence and self-defense. We implement and use a variety of non-violent tactics like, marches, pickets, boycotts, petition drives, etc. Likewise, we are also ready to defend ourselves and our community by any means necessary. As Jefe De Estado Mayor so eloquently stated, “we will never instigate violence but we will finish it if need be”.
- Fundraising -- Each unit needs to raise funds so we can be always be ready to mobilize at a moment’s notice. Ultimately I’d like to get some sort of funding mechanism set up so that the BBNO gets a constant flow of money to do things. How are we going to do it? The San Fernando unit sold a libro. Others are planning fundraising parties. The old trusty car wash is also good but labor intensive, however with social networking sites you can create events and get people to help. One year our unit sold World’s Finest candy bars for 1$ each. The company had a fair credit plan so there was no up front cost and as long as we returned ½ of the profit we were good. This was a real successful fundraiser for our cadets. You might also want to invest in a pop corn maker, snow cone stand or button press. Some of us like to write, there are several writing websites where they will pay you for articles. I submit on Associated Content but there are several others. Lets use our talents to raise feria and become self sufficient.
Vision
As the lines of communication between all Califas and Aztlan brigades are established we are going to expand like no other movement ever has. I envision a day when I can make a call or a post asking for a mobilization somewhere in CA and a contingent of Berets is there ready and willing. Can you imagine the force we’d be if we had 1000 berets in every California county? But to reclaim Aztlan we are going to need people power and that means thousands of berets in every city. Now that we have Kiva de Quinto Sol for Brown Berets only I want all of us to start sharing events about our organizing and to provide input to promote our growth. With the Chicano Moratorium just a few weeks away it is imperative that every brown beret unit send their tropas. If you have no members then make it your personal pilgrimage to get there. Time is wasting Let’s get organizing. VIVA LOS BROWN BERETS VIVA LA RAZA
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| Brown Berets deploying to Chicano Park |
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| Brown Berets in Las Vegas NM with Reijes Lopez Tejerina and Dolores Huerta |
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| Brown Beret cadets reclaiming their street |
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| Organizing in Bakersfield, CA |
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| May Day 2011 in Fresno |
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| Cinco De Mayo in Merced CA |
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| Chico MEChA Statewide 5/28/11 |
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| Fresno& Merced Brown Berets are in the Newspaper |
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| Brown Berets at Chicano Park Day In San Diego Califas |
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| Comandante Garcia at Chicano Park next to his dream car |
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